For the past couple of weeks, MPR News has been airing stories about how cities are coming to terms with smaller budgets–reduced because of cuts in Local Government Aid, a lagging economy and declining property values.

All these stories are part of a project called “Forced to Choose,” which explores the tough choices communities are making as local governments finalize their budgets for 2012. The project is a partnership of Ground Level, which previously examined budgetary issues in our “Cities in Crisis” series, and the larger MPR newsroom.

This morning, MPR News reporter Elizabeth Baier looks at a school referendum in Owatonna that would, if passed, place a vacant Bible college campus in public hands. Purchasing the campus would allow for an expansion of the elementary school and also allay a nagging concern of city leaders: that a collection of empty buildings can become an eyesore in a hurry.

We’ll be presenting more stories along these lines–both on the air and online–in the coming months. We hope you’ll stay tuned.

About the blogger

Jennifer Vogel reports and writes for the Ground Level project, focusing on complex topics that play out in Minnesota’s communities and that involve residents getting engaged with the challenges of the day.